Scouts close public access to Owasippe

BLUE LAKE TWP. — Owasippe Scout Reservation, a favored spot for cross-country skiers, mountain bikers and fishing enthusiasts, is off limits to the public — at least for now.

The Chicago Council of Boy Scouts of America, owners of the rugged 4,800-acre property in northern Muskegon County, closed Owasippe to outsiders because of liability concerns, said council Scout Executive Charles Dobbins.

Dobbins said he checked into the issue when he was appointed to the executive job in June.

"It became amazingly clear to me we don't have the insurances we need in place," Dobbins said. "We don't have any liability insurance to cover non-Scout use."

He said the council is working to re-open the reservation to the public, but that could end up including only specific groups that have their own liability insurance.

"We're in exploratory talks with several groups along that line," Dobbins said.

The decision likely will upset local users already perturbed by the council's decision to sue Blue Lake Township over its refusal to rezone the reservation for residential use. That lawsuit is pending in the Michigan Court of Appeals.

The council is looking to sell off large sections of the reservation and claims the current zoning that limits the property to camp and recreational use unfairly restricts its value.

Dobbins said it is "our hope" to re-open Owasippe for public use in time for cross-country skiing season.

"It's not meant as a shot across the bow at the community," he said. "We need to retreat and get our ducks in a row before we open up camp to outside users."

Owasippe had been open to outside users when Boy Scouts were not using the camps there. The Scout camping season generally is late June to mid-August.

Owasippe even had established a fee system for outside users, such as $10 a day or $40 a season for fishing and $5 per day or $50 per season for mountain biking.

Dobbins said increasing user fees would not cover the high cost of liability insurance for public users.

"So far, the (insurance) contracts are coming in pretty pricey," he said.